1. Use a free keyword tool to carry out keyword research and determine which keywords are going to be typed into search engines to search for your product or service. There are many tools such as keywords everywhere which are free and provide comprehensive keyword data including variations and search volumes. Use this type of tool and be in the know on the keywords that matter to your business.
   
2. Using these keywords, type them into google.co.uk and learn who your current SEO competitors are (the websites that currently rank highly for the same keywords and offer the same product or service as you). From these competing websites, you will be able to analyse various element of their pages that will help you to determine additional keywords they are targeting and how they communicate their offering for success. Specifically, we find it useful to look at a websites meta title tag, meta description tag, website hierarchy, the way pages are named (usually with keywords in mind), H1 tags and copy that may contain keywords and internal links.
   
3. If you have a wordpress website, setup YOAST SEO Plugin, and customise it so that it automatically optimises your website using the keywords that you have discovered during steps 1 and 2. This plugin will help you save a lot of time and effort and has many options. Be mindful to read the user guide here so that you set it up correctly.
   
4. Register your business on relevant community or industry forums and industry bodies. If your sector has an accreditation body, you should consider getting the accreditation as you may be able to get a listing in their directory of accredited companies. This is good as it will get you referral traffic (people coming from the accreditation website to yours) but also help your SEO as you are associating with another website which is relevant to your industry and should have a positive authority. An example would be the BAR association for the removals sector.
5. Setup a google business profile, so that your business website comes up when someone searches for a local supplier. This is extremely important for trades such as plumbers, electricians, builders as customers will typically look for a supplier that is local to them. By setting up a Google business profile, you will give yourself the opportunity to have your website come up in the Map listings on google, which will get you traffic and enquiries.
6. Think about other complimentary businesses that would lead a customer to you. For example, an estate agent that sells properties might be able to send customers to a removals company, so as a removals company, getting exposure or partnering with local estate agents could be a good idea. Approach them with a useful, free guide that you think their customers might find of use. The partner could publish this on their website, giving your business exposure to a ready audience and then also an opportunity to gain a link back to your website too.

Alex Buckingham-Bullock is an SEO Account Manager at POLARIS Agency, a London-based small business seo agency. Alex is an SEO expert with over 5 year’s experience in digital marketing, leading SEO campaigns across the global markets. He enjoys the versatility of SEO and the diversity of high growth Strategic SEO campaigns. POLARIS Agency specialises in campaigns for the e-commerce, tech, travel, B2B and retail sectors.